Best Practices

Grant Opportunity: Close the Gaps in Entrepreneurship

Published Jun 07, 2016
by Sarah Mote

Here at SourceLink, we believe entrepreneurship has the power to change communities—and transform lives. It provides individuals and families with a pathway to economic independence. And yet, despite the impact of entrepreneurship, research shows that women and people of color start businesses at significantly lower rates and often struggle to secure equivalent capital and support.

That’s why we’re sharing this opportunity from our friends at the Kauffman Foundation: the Kauffman Inclusion Challenge. (The deadline for to complete the initial survey is 5 p.m. CDT on June 20, 2016.)

Spark and Sustain Inclusive Entrepreneurship

The Kauffman Inclusion Challenge is designed to find, understand and grant funds to nonprofit entrepreneurship-support organizations that can help female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color achieve higher rates of success with award $7 million to $8 million in grants over the next two years, at up to $500,000 per grantee.

With this program, the Kauffman Foundation will help make entrepreneurship a viable option for everyone who has a great idea and the grit to bring it to life.

Who Qualifies?

The foundation is looking for organizations that:

Expressly support female entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs of color,

Are successful at supporting entrepreneurs from every walk of life, including women and entrepreneurs of color, or

Are launching an innovative new program that aligns with the program’s goal.

How Do You Apply for the Inclusion Challenge?

Simply click here to answer a few questions and take a quick survey to help the Kauffman Foundation understand how they might work with your organization.

Complete the survey by 5 p.m. CDT on June 20, 2016 to be considered for this program.

If your organization looks like a good fit with the program’s goal, the Kauffman Foundation will invite you to a second round of questions and interviews.

Research & Toolkits

Interested in learning more? Reach out to Dara Macan and tell us what you are excited about in your community; we'd love to learn from your expertise and feature you as one of our forward-thinking leaders in our emerging industry.

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